Coopers Tavern

Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire

Tuns Taverns tenancy

Located opposite the Coors Brewery in Burton-upon-Trent is a small Grade II-listed building, which is also home to one of the UK's most unusual pubs.

Coopers Tavern is little more than a single room, which serves a wide selection of real ales, some direct from the casks that stand on benching in the corner. There is no bar counter, so staff and patrons mingle in the open-plan layout. The pub was a Bass tap house until 1992, and has been owned by Tuns Taverns since 2006.

Since taking over, Mary Bagley has sought to take this "quiet, backstreet pub" back to its roots. Carpets have been removed and the old tile floor restored in a bid to make the atmosphere as traditional as possible.

"I love to hear the old-timers tell stories of how the pub used to be," says Bagley, who attributes the pub's current success to its "homely" atmosphere.

You can still see the bell pushes on the walls that once brought a steward to your table to take your order, and some of the seats are made out of old timber casks.

In keeping with its origins and proximity to the brewery, Bass is served all the time along with seven or eight guest ales from smaller brewers such as Castle Rock. It also does a roaring trade in ciders and fruit wines, especially in the summer months.

Food-wise, the focus is on "proper British pub grub" with favourites including faggots and peas, cottage pie, and bacon sandwiches. As well as lunchtime sittings, the pub has been doing Sunday lunches since last November.

As you might expect, the entertainment is also of a traditional nature with no television, while folk music is played every Tuesday.